Unexpected Love Part 3 A Family Affair
by SheenaRamone
Summary: Joey Ramone continues his romance with April. Their relationship is getting serious and he finally meets her parents. April graduates from beauty school with an honorable mention, which Joey is present for. The Ramones are getting ready for a tour to Mexico and Joey's feud with Johnny continues. Joey's only happiness is April and he plans to only get closer to her.
1. Chapter 1-4

**Unexpected Love Part 3-A Family Affair**

 **Chapter 1**

It was 10:00pm and the Ramones were at CBGB playing a show. The rowdy audience shouted "Hey, Ho, Let's Go! Hey, Ho, Let's Go!" The Ramones had already played their set but the audience wanted an encore. The smoke filled club was hot and stuffy. Apparently Hilly Kristal, the club's owner, did not believe in air conditioning.

Joey Ramone, lead singer of the band, wiped his face with a towel and sipped on an ice cold bottle of water. His voice wasn't the best tonight and he thought he felt a cold coming on. _Great, just what I fuckin' need_ , he thought.

Johnny Ramone, the "boss" and guitarist of the band, said, "We gotta go back out there for an encore. Let's play "Commando, 'Good Boy' and end it with 'Blitzkrieg'".

Dee Dee lit a cigarette and Johnny scolded, "What the fuck are you doing? You don't have time to smoke right now, we gotta get back on stage!"

Dee took 2 drags of his cigarette, put it out in an ash tray that was sitting on a table and said, "I just needed a couple of drags, man." He picked up his bass and put it around his neck.

Joey said, "Let's go!" He led the band back onstage. He picked up the microphone and said, "Well alright! You guys want more Ramones, you'll get more Ramones! Take it Dee, Dee!"

April was studying for her last exam from beauty school. She was to take the exam tomorrow and if she passed, graduation would be the following week. April had no doubt that she would pass, as she has been getting good grades all year. She was excited that school would be over soon and she could begin her career as a hairstylist/cosmetologist. She could not wait to go into the real world and get a job in her field.

April's roommate, Olivia, also attended beauty school, but she only went for hair, not cosmetology. So she had graduated before April. Olivia was already working at a hair salon in Manhattan and she loved her job.

April sat on the couch with her book on her lap. Her eyes were getting tired, as she had been studying for hours. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and thought about her boyfriend, Joey. They'd been seeing each other for a couple of months and they were in love. Who would have ever thought that the singer of the famous punk rock band, The Ramones, would pick HER, to be his girlfriend. Joey was so loving and romantic. He was attentive, intelligent and sweet. She touched the diamond locket around her neck. It was a gift Joey had given her last month, when he came to visit her. Inside the locket, he had their names engraved. She remembers that day so well. Joey ended up leaving a day earlier than planned and both of them were upset. They haven't seen each other since because both of them have been busy. They talked on the phone constantly, but it still wasn't the same as being together. She longed for the day when they could see each other on a regular basis. She sighed and picked her book up again and continued to study.

At CBGB, the Ramones were mingling with fans. Their show was over and Joey was relieved. He didn't feel very well and all he wanted to do was go home and lay down. He didn't even feel like drinking tonight.

Debbie Harry, the gorgeous lead singer of the band Blondie, was amongst the crowd. She was good friends with Joey, but she hated Johnny. A lot of people hated Johnny.

Joey felt a hand on his shoulder and it was Debbie. "Hey cutie, what's the matter? You are being awfully quiet tonight." Joey said, "I think I'm getting sick. I get sick often." Debbie said, "Why don't you go home and rest?" Joey said, "I am. I just wanted to hang out and talk to some of our fans, and thank them for coming tonight." Debbie beamed and said, "You are always so damn sweet. Johnny could learn something from you." Joey smirked and said, "Yeah right." He gave Debbie a hug and said, "Have a good evening. I'm gonna say bye to some folks and head home."

Joey made his way around the room. He saw his brother Mickey talking to a couple of girls. Mickey spotted Joey and waved at him to come over. Joey made his way over to them. One of the girls was a really pale redhead and the other girl was a tall brunette. Mickey said, "What's going on, man?" Joey said, "I'm going home." Mickey said, "How come?" He took a swig of his beer bottle. Joey said, "I ain't feelin' too well, man." The tall brunette said, "Oh, poor baby. Do you need someone to take care of you?" Joey shook his head and said, "Nah. I'll be fine." The pale redhead just stood there, staring into space. Joey said. "See ya" and walked away. Mickey said, "I'll call you tomorrow, bro." He put his arms around the 2 girls and said, "Let's go have some fun, ladies!"

As Joey made his way out of the club, Johnny spotted him. He glared at Joey, but didn't say anything. Johnny was still pissed about a fight they had gotten into a couple weeks ago. Joey actually had kicked the shit out of Johnny and everyone was flabbergasted over it. Shy, quiet, Joey Ramone beat up Johnny Ramone, the "bad ass" of the band. Joey had had enough of Johnny and all his anger and frustration came out that particular evening.

When Joey reached the front door of the club, he felt someone grab his arm. He turned around and saw Linda there. Linda was his ex-girlfriend, Johnny's current girlfriend. Joey pulled his arm back, scowled and said, "What the fuck do you want? Where's your boyfriend?" Linda said, "You don't look good, Joey. Are you ok?" Joey smirked and said, "Why do you care?" Linda said, "Listen Joey, are you gonna hate me forever?" Joey rolled his eyes and said, "I just want you to leave me the fuck alone. I don't wanna be around you, ya know? You make me sick. You and Johnny both make me sick. Ask him about the ass kicking he got 2 weeks ago" Linda raised her eyebrows and said, "What?" Joey said, "Of course he didn't tell you. He would never tell you that he got his ass kicked by Joey Ramone." He turned his back on her and started walking out of the club. She called out to him, "Take care of yourself, Joey!" Joey flipped her the bird and kept walking.

 _The nerve of her_ , he thought. She didn't give a shit about him when she was with him, and now she wants to act like she's concerned and cares? _Fuck her_ , he thought. Yes, he loved her more than anything, at one time, but she tore his heart into shreds. Not only was she seeing Johnny behind his back, he discovered she stole money from him, without his knowledge. He could never forgive her for that. She could keep Johnny and be miserable forever. They deserved each other.

Joey hailed a cab and got inside. He gave the cab driver his address and off they went. Joey sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. He thought about his sweet April. She would never hurt him like Linda did. She truly loved him. He felt it, when he was with her. He wondered what she was doing now. He looked at his watch and it was already 1:00am. Too late to call her. He hadn't spoken to her in hours, since noon. How he missed her so. Now he'd have to wait until tomorrow to hear her sweet voice.

The sound of the telephone ringing woke April up. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was 5:00am. Way too early for someone to be calling. She knew Olivia wouldn't answer it because nothing woke Olivia up. She slept through anything. April got up, put on her slippers and headed towards the kitchen. She turned on the lights and grabbed the phone. "Hello", she said sleepily. "April, I needed to hear your voice," said Joey. April yawned and said, "Are you ok, babe? You sound weird." Joey's voice was a bit hoarse. He said, "I'm sick, baby. I forgot to tell you that I get sick a lot. My immune system is no good." April was concerned. "Oh Joey, I wish I could be there with you to take care of you. I miss you so much." Joey said, "Me too, baby. We played a show last night and it took the life out of me." April said, "My poor baby. I love you, Joey." Joey said, "I love you too. I can't wait to see you again." April said, "Me neither. You are coming to my graduation, right?" Joey said, "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I fuckin told Monte not to book any shows for that day and he said he wouldn't." April said, "Well, I take my last exam in a few hours. Wish me luck!" Joey said, "You'll nail it, babe. I know you will." His voice kept sounding worse by the minute. April said, "Babe, you need to get some rest. I don't like hearing you sound like this." Joey said, "I'll rest. I just needed to hear your voice." April said, "I love you so." Joey said, "Love you more." They hung up. April didn't like hearing him sick like that. She remembered what Linda had told her, the first night she met her. " _Joey's really needy",_ she had told April. So what if he was? She loved Joey with all her heart and there is nothing she would not do for him.

She went back to bed and pulled the blankets over her. She didn't have to be up for another 2 hours and she intended to sleep until her alarm went off.

Linda's snoring woke Johnny up. He annoyingly shook her gently and said, "Linda! Quit snoring, you're keeping me up!" Linda mumbled, "Huh?" A frustrated Johnny said, "Cut it out! I need my sleep!" Linda opened her eyes and said, "I can't help it." Johnny said, "You'll be sleeping on the couch if you keep it up!" Linda said, "Quit being a dick!" Johnny sat up in bed and said, "I saw you talking to Joey at the club…what the fuck was that about?" Linda said, "Is it true that he kicked your ass? You never told me about that." Johnny smirked and said, "Of course he didn't, he's full of shit, Linda. Don't tell me you believe him." Linda said, "I know Joey and I know he doesn't lie." Johnny got out of bed, his hair a mess. He said, "So fuckin what? Do you wanna go back to him? Is that what you want?" Linda rolled her eyes and said, "Of course not, Johnny! Now come back to bed and quit being a jerk!" Johnny got back into bed and said, "Stay away from Joey. I mean it, Linda." Linda put her arm around Johnny and said, "Ok! You know you're the one I love." Johnny said, "I love you too, Linda. I just can't stand Joey. He's always been a pain in my ass." Linda sighed and said, "Let's go back to sleep." As Linda lay in bed, she thought about Joey. There were times she regretted hurting him and leaving him. She loved Johnny with all her heart, but Joey had been nicer to her. Joey would never talk to her the way Johnny does. But now, Joey hated her guts and wanted nothing to do with her. Plus, he was in love with another woman. Linda fell asleep with tears running down her face.

April rushed into the classroom to take her exam. 2 other students were already there. There were a total of 15 students in her class. "Hi April!", said one of the girls, whose name was Mercy. "Hi Mercy! You ready for the exam?", asked April. Mercy sighed and said, "I hope so. I stayed up all night studying." April said, "You'll do great!" Other students started coming in and the seats in the classroom filled up. The instructor came into the classroom. She was a tall, older woman with bright red hair. She said "Alright class! I hope you've all studied for the final written exam. You'll have a half hour to take the exam. You'll be timed. If you pass this exam, you'll be part of the Class of 1979, graduating next week. Exam results will be posted tomorrow in the hallway bulletin board. Good luck!" She passed out the exam and the students got to work.

Joey woke up and looked at the clock. The clock read 4:00pm. He couldn't believe he slept that long. He got up, went to the kitchen and made some coffee. He had on a pair of sweatpants and no shirt. He felt like shit, like a truck ran over him. He was used to getting sick. He had never been healthy. Even as a child, he got sick often. He hated not being well.

As he poured coffee into his mug, his phone rang. He grabbed the phone and said, "Hello?" It was his mother, Charlotte. "Joey, its mom. Mickey told me you're sick." Joey said, "Yeah." His voice still sounded hoarse. Charlotte said, "I'm coming over." Joey said, "You don't have to, ma." He really preferred that she didn't come over. He just wanted to be alone and to rest. Charlotte said, "I'm coming over Joey, and that's final." She hung up. Joey sighed and put the phone back on the receiver. He loved his mother, but she could be a pain in the ass sometimes. She asked him too many questions. That's what mothers do, but damn, it annoyed him sometimes.

Charlotte was knocking on the door a half an hour later. When Joey opened the door to let her in, she gave him a big hug. She said, "My poor baby." Joey said, "Ok, ma". Charlotte said, "Let's get you into bed. Come on." She tucked Joey in bed and said, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" Joey shook his head and said, "I just want to sleep." Charlotte said, "I'll clean up a bit while you sleep." Joey said, "Ok but don't misplace my stuff. I know where everything is." Charlotte said, "I know, I know. I know better than to move your stuff around." Charlotte knew that Joey was meticulous about where he put things. If she even moved a piece of paper from where it was, Joey found out and scolded her. She kissed him on the forehead and went out to the living room to let him sleep.

Charlotte dusted, swept and mopped. She enjoyed cleaning. Joey was her messy son. Mickey was organized, Joey was not. It had always been that way. She didn't mind cleaning for Joey, it gave her something to do. She bent down to pick up a piece of paper under the kitchen table. She looked at it closely and saw that it was a receipt from Tiffany & Co. She gasped and said, "$600?" What could have Joey possibly bought there, and for whom? She remembered the time Joey bought Linda an engagement ring. Charlotte had been against it, but Joey did what he wanted with his money. _That whore_ , thought Charlotte. _She broke my son's heart_. Charlotte had never liked Linda. She remembered when Joey introduced Linda to her. He had brought her over to Charlotte's house. Within five minutes of being around Linda, Charlotte knew she didn't like her. Linda was after something, and it was not her son's love. She was a gold digger. Charlotte had told Joey how she felt, but Joey refused to listen. He found out the hard way. Charlotte sighed and placed the receipt on the table. She decided she would ask Joey about it when he woke up.

Charlotte peeked into the bedroom and saw Joey was asleep. He fell asleep with his rose colored glasses on. She thought about taking them off his face and placing them on his nightstand, but she didn't want to wake him up. She went back to the living room.

Just then, the phone rang. Charlotte grabbed it on the first ring, before it woke Joey up. "Hello?" she said into the receiver. April didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line and was startled to hear a female voice. "Hello, I am looking for Joey." Charlotte said, "And who is this?" April wondered the same thing. She said, "This is April. Who am I speaking to?" Charlotte said, "This is Joey's mother." April sighed in relief and said, "Oh hello, it's nice to talk to you. I'm Joey's girlfriend." Charlotte said, "Yes, he has told me about you". April said, "I am looking forward to meeting you soon. I know Joey's sick and I was just calling to check on him." Charlotte said, "He's taking a nap at the moment, but I'll tell him you called. Nice talking to you, dear." April said, "It was nice talking to you as well…and thank you. Goodbye."

April hung up the phone and decided that she would ask Olivia to go shopping. Olivia loved to shop and April needed the distraction.

When Joey awoke, he called out for Charlotte. "Ma!" Charlotte came into Joey's room and said, "Oh, you're awake." Joey sat up in bed and said, "Can you get me a glass of water?" Charlotte said, "Of course. I'll be right back." She left the room and came back with a glass of water. She placed it on his night stand. She watched him take a drink. She felt bad for her son. He looked pale in color and his hair was a mess. She went to the bathroom and found Joey's hair brush. She came out with it and said, "Let me brush your hair." Joey scowled and said, "Why? I ain't going nowhere." Charlotte said, "Joey, let me do this." Joey snapped, "Ok, ok!" He felt like he was 5 years old, all over again. As his mom brushed his hair, she said, "So I found a Tiffany's receipt under the table." Joey said, "So?" Charlotte said, "Did you buy something for April?" Joey said, "What if I did?" Charlotte said, "Joey, you don't have to get so defensive. I'm just asking. Besides, I spoke to her. She called while you were asleep." Joey's face lit up and he said, "She called? I have to call her back." Charlotte said, "I told her you'd give her a call later. She sounded sweet on the phone." Joey said, "She has the sweetest voice I've ever heard. Ma, I love her." Charlotte put the brush down and said, "Well I'm glad that she makes you happy. That's all I want for you." Joey said, "She's the best. I can't live without her." Charlotte said, "Now Joey, you need to be careful. Don't forget what Linda did to you." Joey and said, "I know April loves me. She's nothing like Linda. Wait until you meet her. You'll love her, too." Charlotte said, "I'm sure I will, Joey."

 **Chapter 2**

It was 7:oo pm. Monte, the Ramones tour manager, hung up the phone. He was booking The Ramones dates in Mexico. The band was going to do a 3 week tour. They had never been to Mexico, it will be their first time going. Monte had to make sure the band got their passports ready and he had to figure out whether or not he was going to allow the guys to bring their wives/girlfriends. That made it all the more difficult, but the guys could be insistent about things, especially Johnny. He certainly didn't need Johnny in a bad mood during the whole tour. The guy was hard to handle, as is.

Monte picked up the phone and dialed Joey's number. He hadn't seen or heard from him since last night, when the Ramones played the gig at CBGB. Joey picked up on the first ring. "Hello?" Monte said, "Hey, it's Monte." Joey let out a sigh of disappointment, as he was hoping it was April. "What's up, Mont?" asked Joey. Monte said, "You scattered out of the show last night without saying goodbye. Wondered if you were ok." Joey said, "I'm sick, I think I've gotta cold." Monte said, "Yeah, you sound sick. Listen, I'm working on the Mexican tour." Joey said, "Oh yeah?" Monte said, "All the shows and dates are booked. We leave next month, on 15th. Oh and I decided you boys can bring your women, if you want." That made Joey feel a little better, because he could bring April. However, that meant Linda would be going, too. Joey said, "I'll ask April if she can go. She'll be done with school, anyway." As if Monte read his mind, he said, "Just keep her away from Linda, right?" Joey smirked and said, "Johnny better keep Linda away from April! April is a wild one and she won't hesitate to kick Linda's ass if Linda starts something." Monte laughed and said, "Those Latina women have hot tempers." Joey said, "Well, she's rubbing off on me, Mont." Monte said, "I'd say! I can't believe you did a number on Johnny!" Joey said, "He had it coming." Monte said, "That's for sure. Ok, I'll talk to you later. Feel better!" Joey said, "Thanks. Bye". He hung the phone up and decided he was going to watch TV for awhile. He had tried calling April as soon as his mother left, but there was no answer. He left a message on April and Olivia's answering machine for her to call him back.

April and Olivia walked down the aisle of Macy's. They had gone shopping together. Olivia had bought herself 3 pairs of heels, 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of earrings. She was able to splurge because she was already working as a hairstylist. She made great money from her clients. April, on the other hand, had to be careful on what she spent. She had a budget that she had to abide by. Her parents sent her money every month, but she had to use it on her half of the rent, utilities and groceries. Anything extra, she put aside for shopping trips, such as this one. The only thing she wanted to buy was a dress for her graduation ceremony and shoes to go with it.

She looked at the dresses on the rack and couldn't decide. Olivia picked one out and said, "Ooh, I like this one!" She held it up for April to see. April shook her head and said, "No." Olivia put it back on the rack and said, "Well, I think it's cute." April picked out a strappy cream colored dress. It was short, but not too short. She thought it was cute. "I want to try this on", she told Olivia. Olivia said, "I like it!"

April walked over to the dressing room and tried on the dress. She looked in the mirror and twirled around. _Hmm,_ she thought. _I love it_. The light colored dress complimented her dark hair. It hugged every curve she had. Oliva knocked on the dressing room door and said, "Aren't you going to show me?" April opened the door. Oliva gasped and said, "Oh my god, it's perfect! Look how sexy you look!" April laughed and said, "I'm not trying to look sexy." Olivia said, "But you do. Man, I wish I had your curves! Tiny waist, big boobs and decent bottom." April said, "Oh, shush! You are slim and don't have to worry about gaining weight! I'd love that." Olivia said, "But guys like bodies like yours better." April said, "Not true. Look at all the supermodels. They are all shaped like _you._ " Olivia said, "Well, are you going to get it?" April said, "Yes, I am. This is it. Now I have to get shoes."

Johnny said to Linda, "You'll be coming with me to Mexico next month." Linda said, "I didn't know the band was going there." Johnny, who was sitting on the couch, reading a book about Elvis, said, "Now you know." Linda said, "That should be fun!" Johnny looked up from his book and said, "It'll be a great time if you stay away from Joey." Linda rolled her eyes and said, "Don't worry! Besides, I'm sure Joey will have his little girlfriend with him, anyway." Johnny said, "Good!" He continued to read his book. Linda said, "What do you want for dinner?" She walked into the kitchen.

April and Olivia got home and put their packages on the couch. They were exhausted after so much shopping. Olivia went to the kitchen and got herself a can of TAB, from the refrigerator. She looked over at the answering machine and saw there was a message. She played it. It was Joey's message for April. "Hi April, it's me, Joey. Give me a call later. Bye." Olivia said, "April, call Joey. He left a message."

April looked at the time and it was 9:00pm. She figured she would call Joey, take a bath and go to bed. She was tired from shopping all evening.

Joey was watching TV when the phone rang. He got up to go answer it. "Hello?" "Hi Joey, it's me." It was April's sweet voice on the other end of the line. "Hi baby. How ya doin'?" asked Joey. April said, "I'm fine, my love. And you? How are you feeling?" Joey shrugged and said, "I feel better than I did this morning. My ma said she talked to you for a bit." April said, "She did. She was really nice." Joey said, "I think she likes you." April laughed and said, "But Joey, she hasn't even met me yet." Joey said, "Well she'll be meeting you soon." April said, "So I went shopping tonight with Olivia." Joey said, "Oh yeah? I guess that's why you weren't home when I called." April said, "Yeah, I needed a dress for graduation and shoes. Wait until you see me in the dress I picked out!" Joey said, "I'm sure you'll look beautiful. Uh, listen babe, I could have bought you a dress. Or sent you money to get a dress. You don't have to spend your own money on that stuff, ya know?" April said, "Joey, you're so sweet. It's ok though, I got it covered." Joey said, "Well you're my girl, and I wanna take care of you." April said, "That means a lot to me." Joey said, "You have no idea what YOU mean to me, April." April said, "Joey Ramone, I love you more and more each day!" Joey said, "I feel the same. Listen, I want you to come on tour with us next month. Monte booked some shows in Mexico and we'll be there for 3 weeks." April said, "Really? Mexico?" Joey said, "Yeah, don't you have relatives there or something?" April said, "Yeah, I have an aunt there and some cousins." Joey said, "Well maybe we can see them while we're there." April thought it was so cute how Joey said _WE_. April said, "I'd love to go on tour with The Ramones! You don't have to twist my arm, babe." A feeling of happiness came over Joey. He was going to spend 3 weeks with his love. Joey said, "Great! It'll be a blast!" April said, "I guess that means Linda will be going, as well, huh?" Joey said, "Don't worry about that bitch. If Johnny knows what's good for her, he'll keep her away from us." April said, "Good, because if she fucks with me, I'll punch her out." Joey laughed and said, "I know you will. My hot blooded girl." April laughed along with Joey.

 **Chapter 3**

April's parents flew in from Texas to attend her graduation. She hadn't seen them in 6 months, so it was good to see them. They took a cab to her apartment. They had never been there before. As they walked inside, they met Mr. Thomas and he directed them towards April's apartment.

April's mom, Irma, said, "Wow, this place is nice!" Her husband, Rudy, looked at her and said, "Indeed it is! So this is what we pay for every month." Irma smiled at him and they kept walking until they found April's apartment.

April swung the door open and said, "Mom! Dad!" She gave both of them hugs and introduced them to Olivia. Olivia, who looked stunning in a red dress, said, "Hi, nice to meet you both." Rudy and Irma gave her a hug. Irma said, "Aren't you stunning?" Rudy chimed in and said, "Like a supermodel!" Olivia blushed and said, "Thank you."

April wasn't dressed yet, she had on her robe. She said, "Mom and Dad. I never told you this, but I have a boyfriend and he's coming to my graduation, too."

Rudy and Irma looked at each other. Rudy said, "Oh? Who is your boyfriend?"

April glanced at Olivia and Olivia shrugged. April said, "His name is Joey Ramone and he's in a band called The Ramones."

Rudy said, "The Ramones?"

"Yes, dad, the Ramones", said April.

Olivia chimed in, "Yeah, they are famous!"

Irma said, "My daughter is dating someone famous? Ok, well, we look forward to meeting him."

April said, "I need to warn you that he is super tall and looks intimidating, but he's a total sweetheart."

Rudy said, "What do you mean he's super tall and looks intimidating? Who are you dating, King Kong?"

April laughed and said, "No dad. You'll love him. So will mom. I promise you!"

April went to the bedroom to get changed into her dress. She thought about how it would go when Joey met her parents. She had told Joey that her parents were coming to her graduation and he said he was excited about meeting them. Joey said they could all ride in his limousine to the ceremony. Wait until her parents found out about that! She knew they would love Joey. Everyone loves Joey.

When April was all dressed and ready, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. Her long dark hair was flowing. Her make-up was just right. She thought she looked pretty damn good. _Eat your heart out, Linda_. She didn't like the fact that Joey's ex-girlfriend was still around, but it was something they had to deal with. She _knew_ that Linda still had feelings for Joey and that she regretted leaving him for Johnny. Joey assured her that he no longer loved Linda and April believed him. She had to trust him.

When April walked out into the living room, everyone turned around and looked at her. Irma said, "Oh my God, you look stunning!" Rudy said, "My daughter is so beautiful!"

Just then the doorbell rang. Olivia said, "That's probably Joey."

April said, "Go get the door, Olivia. Remember, I don't wanna look desperate." Olivia laughed and said, "Ok".

She opened the door. There stood Joey with a bouquet of red roses in his hand. He looked nice, too. Joey Ramone never dressed formal, but he had on a nice clean pair of non-ripped black jeans and a white button down shirt. He wore black Converse on his feet. He had to look like a rock star, after all.

Rudy went up to Joey and said, "You must be the young man my daughter is in love with. Boy, you're tall-April wasn't kidding!"

Joey shook Rudy's hand and said, "Nice to meet you[LW1] , Mr. Vargas."

Irma gave Joey a hug and said, "Hello Joey! It's nice to meet the man my daughter loves."

April walked up to Joey and he handed her the roses. "Thank you, love," she said. She kissed him on the lips. Joey blushed because everyone was staring at them kiss. He looked at April and he felt his heart flutter. He said, "You look beautiful." He couldn't stop looking at his girlfriend. She looked outstanding, like no other girl that he's ever laid eyes on.

"You look gorgeous too, babe", said April. Joey smiled at her.

Olivia came over and gave Joey a hug. She said, "I'm glad you're here! April said you were sick last week, are you feeling better?"

Joey said, "Yeah, I'm fine now."

Joey walked over to April and put his arm around her. He said, "Well, the limo is downstairs. My chauffeur is patiently waiting. Shall we go?"

Rudy said, "Limo?"

April said, "Joey has his own limo and chauffeur, dad. I told you he's a rock star!"

Joey interjected and said, "It's not really _MY_ limo, it's the band's limo and driver."

Rudy said, "Wow! My daughter is dating a rock star. Imagine that! Son, I will have to check out your band."

April smiled at Joey and Joey said, "Anytime, Mr. Vargas. I'll hook you up with some of our albums."

April wondered if she should tell her parents about Mexico, but she didn't think the time was right. She'd have to tell them at another time.

They all piled into the elevator and went downstairs. As they walked through the lobby, Mr. Thomas spotted the whole clan. He said to April, "Congratulations, sweetheart. I'm proud of you!" April beamed at him and said, "Thanks Mr. T!" Joey waved at Mr. Thomas and said, "Mr. T, we'll see you later." Mr. Thomas said, "Ok son, I'll be here! And it was wonderful to meet you, as well," he said to April's parents. They waved at him and they all walked outside, where the limo was waiting. The chauffeur was waiting by the limo door to let them all in.

In the limo, Joey sat next to April, who sat next to Olivia. April's parents set across from them.

Joey offered everyone a glass of wine. He opened the mini-fridge and took out a bottle. He opened it with care. April handed everyone a glass.

Rudy said, "Once everyone gets their wine, we need to make a toast!"

Joey carefully poured wine into everyone's glass.

Rudy held his glass and said, "This is the life of luxury!"

Joey said, "It's not always luxurious, Mr. Vargas."

Rudy said, "You can call me Rudy, son."

Once everyone had their wine, it was toast time.

Rudy spoke first. "To my beautiful and intelligent daughter. You make your mother and I very proud!"

Joey spoke next. He said, "To the love of my life. You've made me a happy man. I'm very proud to be with a girl as intelligent, beautiful, and sweet as you. You make my life complete, ya know?"

Irma said, "That was lovely!"

Olivia said, "To my best friend in the whole world! I love you like a sister!"

April felt a tear run down her cheek and she wiped it with the back of her hand. She said, "I love all of you so much. I am so glad you are here with me."

Rudy said, "I'll drink to that!"

Everyone took a sip of their wine.

 **Chapter 4**

The limo pulled up in front of the theater where the ceremony was going to be held. The chauffeur got out and held the door open. Joey and April were the last ones to get out. Joey took April's hand and walked along with others, to the building.

Once inside, April gave Joey a kiss and said, "I need to go sit with all the other graduates. Keep my parents company."

Joey said, "I'll do that."

April made her way to the section of the theater where the graduates were seated. She noticed the seats were labeled with names. She looked for her name and sat down. She noticed so many people in attendance. She didn't think there would be this many people here.

She looked towards the back of the theater and saw Joey talking with her father. They looked like they were getting along. That made her happy. Olivia and Irma were also chatting about something. April felt so lucky to have them all in her life.

The CEO of the beauty school took his place on stage and started talking. The audience piped down.

 _"Thank you all for attending the graduation ceremony for the Manhattan Hair Styling Academy. I am pleased to say that every single student that took the exam, passed with flying colors. I am proud of the hard work they put in. It's not easy being a hair stylist, or a cosmetologist. Working on other human beings is a challenge. You deal with so many types of personalities. I commend all of our students for a job well done. I am proud to present to you the Class of 1979."_

There was applause. They started calling people's names to go up to the stage to take their diplomas.

April got nervous. She hoped she didn't trip on her high heels. _Oh my god, I would DIE_ , she thought. _Please God, don't let me trip and make a fool out of myself_ , she thought.

"Annie Boulder", they called. April was going to be the last one to go up, as her last name started with a V and they were going by alphabetical order.

When they finally got to her name, she took a deep breath and stood up. She made her way to the stage. Her heart pounded so hard. The CEO handed her the diploma and shook her hand. The CEO took the microphone and said, "I'd like to inform everyone that April Vargas was the student with the highest grade point average. Congratulations, April."

Joey stood up as everyone clapped. Rudy followed his lead. He leaned over to Joey and said, "That's my little girl." Rudy had tears streaming down his face, as did his wife.

Joey was grateful he wore dark glasses because he felt his eyes water. _I can't have people see me cry in public_ , he thought. He looked at April, walking across the stage, with a happy smile on her face. He thought to himself, _she's definitely the one._ His thoughts startled him, but it was what his heart felt.

The limousine pulled up to a fancy steakhouse called Morton's. It was Joey's idea for all of them to go out to eat, on him.

As everyone got out of the limousine, some people recognized Joey. "Hey Joey!" yelled out a fan. Another one said, "It's Joey Ramone!" Joey, who held onto April's hand, waved at them, but kept walking. He saw a photographer take a few pictures. _Nosy bastard_ , he thought. He knew that those pictures were going to end up somewhere.

When they got into the restaurant, Joey apologized to April's parents. "Sorry about the chaos. It's rare that I go out and not get recognized. I kinda stand out, ya know?"

Rudy nodded and said, "I'd say you are easy to spot, son." Joey smiled at him.

Just then the restaurant owner came out and said, "Joey, so nice to see you. How many people will be seated at your table?"

Joey said, "Five. And make it a booth, if you can."

The restaurant owner said, "No problem, Joey. Anything for you. Follow me." He led them to the back of the restaurant, in a more private area. He said, "Is this ok?" Joey nodded and said, "Thank you."

When they were all seated and had already ordered their food, Rudy said, "So tell me more about your band, Joey."

Joey said, "Well, we formed in 1974, got signed in 1976 and here we are 3 years later. We play a lot of shows and have a few albums out."

April piped up, "The Ramones are the most popular band out there."

Rudy said, "I'll have to attend one of your shows soon. You know, I was in a band when I was young."

Joey said, "Oh yeah?"

Rudy said, "Yeah, I played the guitar. We didn't get famous, but it was still fun. As a matter of fact, I met my wife at one of my shows." He looked over at Irma and she smiled at him.

Joey nodded and said, "Right on!"

Olivia said, "So your tour to Mexico should be fun, huh, Joey?"

Joey said, "Yeah, we'll be there for 3 weeks. My tour manager is working on booking the clubs."

Olivia said, "April said she's excited about going, too."

April shot a look at Olivia. She shook her head. Olivia said, "Oops." She mouthed _sorry_ to April.

Irma said, "April, you are going too?"

April looked at Joey with defeated eyes.

Joey cleared his throat and said, "Mrs. Vargas, I asked April if she'd like to go with me on this trip. My tour manager said that girlfriends are allowed to accompany us, on this trip. I figured since she is done with school, she could take a trip before she starts her career."

Rudy piped up and said, "If April wants to go, she should." Irma gave him a look as if to say, _really?_

April said, "I do! And Joey said we could even visit Aunt Carmen and her kids, while we are down there."

Joey said, "I'll take care of her. You don't have to worry about anything."

Irma said, "April will need a passport, she doesn't have one."

Joey said, "My tour manager is going to take everyone to get their passports. April included. It will come out of MY budget, so no worries."

April grabbed his hand and held it. He always came to her rescue.

Rudy said, "I like this young man! He knows what he's doing and has a good head on his shoulders!"

Joey smiled and said, "Thanks, I really appreciate that."

The waiter brought out all their food and everyone started eating. They ate, talked, and laughed. April was in heaven. She thought it was too good to be true that her parents liked and accepted Joey. Her father had always been more easy going than her mother. Rudy was a free spirit and an optimist. Her mother, not so much. However, April could tell that she liked Joey.

When everyone was done with their meal, Joey took out his wallet to pay the bill. Rudy interjected and said, "I'll take care of the bill, son."

Joey said, "No, I insist."

Rudy said, "You've done a lot already. Please!"

April looked at Joey and nodded at him. It was best that he didn't argue with Rudy.

Joey put his wallet away and said, "Ok, if you insist. Thank you."

Rudy paid the waiter and they all got up to go outside.

They walked over to the limousine, where Joey's chauffeur was waiting.

Another fan approached Joey. "Joey! Can I get your autograph?" asked an overweight girl with long, black hair. She was holding the Ramones "Leave Home" album in her hand.

Joey said, "Excuse me" to April and her family. The girl had a black marker in her hand, ready for Joey to sign. He signed her record and she said, "Oh my god, thank you! " Joey smiled at her and said, "Thank YOU, for buying our music!" She gave Joey a hug and walked away happily.

Joey got into the limousine, where everyone else was already waiting. He felt all eyes on him. He could feel himself blushing. He didn't mind talking to fans, but it was a bit embarrassing for him when it happened in front of company that wasn't used to it.

He said, "Sorry about that."

April said, "You don't have to apologize, babe. It's so sweet of you to talk to your fans and be nice to them."

Joey said, "I really appreciate them. Without them, the Ramones wouldn't be where they are today."

Rudy said, "I'm very impressed, Joey. When April told me she was dating a rock star, I had no idea it would be someone I would like. "

Joey said, "Thanks!" He looked at April and gave her a smile.

Irma said, "Joey, are you staying in Manhattan tonight?"

Joey said, "No, I, uh, unfortunately have to get back to Queens soon. My band has rehearsal tonight. We were supposed to have rehearsal this afternoon but I moved it down a few hours so I could be here with you guys. There was no way I was missing April's graduation."

April gave him a kiss on the lips and said, "You're the best!" Joey blushed once again. He saw that April had no problem showing affection for him in front of her parents.

Olivia said, "He IS the best! I want to find a boyfriend just like him."

Joey said, "Just be careful about who you date."

Olivia nodded and said, "Trust me, I will be!" She knew Joey was referring to the incident with Gary, her ex-boyfriend. He had accused Olivia of flirting with one of his friends and he had beaten her up severely. He had been drinking, of course. Joey taught Gary a lesson, though. She would forever be grateful that he was there for her.

The limousine arrived at April's apartment. The chauffeur got out and opened the door so everyone could get out.

Rudy said, "Well April, I think your mom and I are going to catch a cab to take us to our hotel. We're tired and need to rest. "

Joey raised his hand and said, "Hold it! You don't have to take a cab, we'll give you a ride to your hotel. We have time, right Sammy?" He looked at his chauffeur. Sammy nodded and said, "Of course."

Irma spoke up and said, "Oh, that would be nice. Thank you, Joey."

April said, "I told you, he's the best! Now you know why I love him so much!"

Joey said, "Well, I guess we should all say our goodbyes and hit the road, ya know? I hate being on a time schedule, but that's the way my life is, and will be, as long as I'm in the Ramones." He sighed.

Rudy said, "It's ok. Hard work always pays off, Joey."

April hugged her parents and said her goodbyes. Olivia did the same.

Rudy said, "C'mon Irma. Let's give April and Joey some privacy to say their goodbyes." He took his wife's arm and helped her inside the limousine.

Olivia said to April, "I'm going inside. See you in a bit!"

April said, "Ok, I'll be in shortly."

She grabbed Joey's hand and they stepped towards the back of the vehicle, for a bit of privacy.

Joey said, "Today was neat. Your parents are wonderful people."

April said, "My dad loves you! And I know my mom does, too. Thank you so much for coming today. It really means so much to me. I don't want you to leave!"

Joey said, "Close your eyes."

April said, "Why?"

Joey said, "Just do it."

April closed her eyes and she felt Joey put something in her hand. He said, "You can open them now."

April looked down and saw a small Tiffany & Co box in her hand. She looked up at Joey and said, "Joey, what did you do?"

Joey shrugged and said, "It's your graduation gift. Go ahead and open it."

April opened the tiny box and inside was a beautiful diamond bracelet. She gasped and said, "Joey, it's gorgeous! I love it! But you didn't have to do that. You just got me a necklace a few weeks ago." She touched the locket she wore around her neck.

Joey said, "I told you that I am going to spoil you, April Vargas. You're my girl and my girl is going to be treated like a princess."

April said, "But your love means the most to me."

Joey pulled her close to him, embraced her and kissed her passionately on the lips. Both of their hearts fluttered like mad.

April said, "I love you."

Joey replied, "Hey, I love you more."

He let her go, walked away and got into the limousine, where April's parents were waiting.

[LW1]


	2. Chapters 5 - 10

**Chapter 5**

It was 7:00pm. Joey walked into band rehearsal 10 minutes late.

Johnny exclaimed, "Well, well, well! Look who decided to show up." Joey ignored him. He was in no mood for Johnny's mouth. He walked up to his microphone and adjusted it.

Dee Dee said "We're doin' 'Chinese Rock' ".

Joey nodded and Dee Dee yelled out ,"1,2,3,4!"

The band started playing and Joey started singing _…"Somebody calls me on the phone…"_ He belted out the lyrics to the song, as the boys played furiously.

When they were done with the song, Marky yelled out, "That was perfect!" He twirled his drum sticks in the air.

Johnny said, "Let's do "This Ain't Havana" and "Rock N Roll High School."

They rehearsed for about an hour. The Ramones were perfectionists. If they think a song didn't sound the way it should, they replayed it until it did. There was no room to be mediocre in that business. Either it was perfect or you shouldn't be playing.

When rehearsal was over, Marky said, "You boys ready go to on tour?"

Dee Dee said, "We have to get our passport shit ready."

Johnny said, "Linda and I got ours taken care of this morning." He glared at Joey, for no reason.

Joey noticed and said, "What are you lookin' at, man?" He glared right back at Johnny.

Dee Dee rolled his eyes and said, "Oh no, not again!"

Marky piped up and said, "Alright, let's get outta here! We've got women to get home to, right?"

Johnny smirked and said, "Joey doesn't."

Joey retorted, "Fuck off!" He tossed his hair back and walked out of the rehearsal studio. He needed to get away from Johnny before he belted him. Obviously, the beating Johnny took from Joey didn't teach him a lesson. _I'll throw his ass in the fucking hospital next time,_ thought Joey. He meant it. Johnny pushed his buttons like no other.

As he made his way out the door, Dee Dee followed him. He said, "Hey Joey, ya wanna ride home?" Vera was outside waiting for him in her car. She did the driving in that relationship.

Joey said, "Nah, I think I'll walk. It's not that far. Thanks, though."

Dee Dee said, "Ok man, see ya later." Joey said, "See ya" and he waved at Vera, who was waiting for Dee Dee in her bright red Trans-Am. Joey watched Dee Dee get in the car and they sped off into the night.

As Joey walked home, he thought about how wonderful it will be to have April by his side for 3 whole weeks. He had never spent more than 3 days in a row, with her. She was busy with school, but now that she's graduated, she can have some fun before she has to work. Joey was thinking that he may ask her to move to Queens with him. She can get a job in Queens instead of Manhattan. He would bring it up to her next time they spoke.

As he walked near a light post, he saw a black cat run towards him. Joey had a soft spot for cats. He bent down and pet the cat. He said, "Hey little buddy." The cat meowed in appreciation of Joey's attention. Joey said, "Sorry I can't bring you home with me." Joey pet the cat a few more times and continued walking home.

Upon arrival to his apartment, Joey got in the shower. He just wanted to relax and watch TV for the rest of the evening. As he stripped of his clothes, he thought about what April was doing. He called her every evening, before bedtime. He stepped into the shower and let the warm water run down his face. He grabbed a bar of DIAL soap and lathered his lean, thin body. He hated being so tall and skinny. Kids made fun of him when he was a child. He was picked on so badly. He recalls hearing the taunts of " _Jeffrey The Giraffe! He's a freak!"_ As a child, he just wanted to be normal. But that was something he wasn't. He was used to being stared at and pointed at. But at least now, he was in a famous band and people _wanted_ his autograph and _wanted_ their picture with him. He always treated fans the way he would want to be treated.

 **Chapter 6**

Johnny and Linda were finishing up a late dinner. After Johnny had gotten home from band practice, he stopped at the deli and picked up some corned beef sandwiches so he and Linda could eat together.

Linda said, "Thanks for bringing home dinner. It was good."

Johnny wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "Yeah it was good. So, uh, what do you wanna do after dinner? Read? Watch TV?"

Linda said, "Why don't we go to the late night showing of The Amityville Horror? You've been wanting to see that."

John perked up and said, "Yeah! Great idea, Linda. It's playing at midnight."

Linda said, "Cool! We can smuggle in some candy too. You know those prices at the theater are a rip off."

Johnny laughed and said, "You're coming up with great ideas tonight. " Linda smiled at him. He could be a really nice guy when he wanted to. The band stressed him out a lot. Johnny was the one in charge of everything and it was very demanding to be in such a position.

As they exited the cab, Johnny reached over and took Linda's hand. He smiled at her. He thought she looked good. She had on a really short skirt and matching boots. He was in a good mood because one of this favorite things to do is go to the movies to watch horror films. He was a fan of horror. Linda liked it too, although not nearly as much as he did.

A fan spotted Johnny and said, "Hey, it's Johnny Ramone!" The fan happened to be a very buxom blonde haired girl. She approached Johnny and said, "You signed my boob at the in-store a few weeks ago." Johnny remembered her now. He uncomfortably said, "Yeah, ok", and walked into the movie theater with Linda. Linda glared at him and said, "What! You signed her boob?" Johnny said, "Well, what the hell was I supposed to do?" Linda said, "Say NO." She shook her head. Johnny said, "Quit over reacting. Every band has women asking for their body parts to be signed." Linda said, "So? That doesn't mean you have to do it." Johnny sighed. He wasn't in the mood for arguing. He looked at Linda helpless and said, "Are we gonna enjoy the movie or what?" Linda said, "Yeah. Just don't do anything like that again."  
Johnny said, "Ok, fine." He rolled his eyes and proceeded to find a seat in theater. They sat down, he put his arm around her and they waited for the movie to start.

Joey laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. He had just gotten off the phone with April. He told her about band rehearsal and they discussed her coming to his place this weekend and staying until they leave for the Mexican tour. He decided he was going to go get her on Friday. Once April arrives, they'll be able to get their passport photos taken and Joey wanted to take her shopping, as well. He couldn't wait to see her again. He soon fell asleep with visions of April in his head.

 **Chapter 7**

April was washing dishes in the kitchen. It was finally Friday, and she would be seeing Joey today. He was going coming to get her. She was going to stay with him in Queens and then go onto Mexico with the Ramones. She was so excited. She could not believe she was going on tour with her favorite band and that the singer of her favorite band, was her boyfriend. She smiled at the thought of seeing Joey again.

Olivia walked into the kitchen and said, "Hey!" She sat at the kitchen table.

April said, "What are you up to?" She dried the dishes and put them away.

Olivia said, "So I've been talking to his guy…"

April said, "Oh yeah? Is he nice? You need to be careful, Olivia."

Olivia said, "Yeah, he's the brother of one of the girls I work with. His name is Jaxxon, spelled with 2 X's."

April said, "Um, ok. So what's he do for a living?"

Olivia said, "He is a construction worker but he also plays in a band."

April sat down next to Olivia and said, "What band?"

Olivia said, "The Zombies".

April said, "I've never heard of them. Are they a punk rock band?"

Olivia said, "I think they are more rock than punk. They have a record out, they played it at work."

April said, "Oh, very cool! So when are you going to go out with him?"

Olivia got up from the table and went to get herself a glass of juice. She picked out a glass from the cabinet and said, "Tonight. We are going to dinner and to see the new Amityville Horror film with James Brolin."

April said, "I'm scared for you, Olivia. After what happened with Gary. You know Joey's coming to pick me up today and I won't be home for almost a month."

Olivia said, "I know. I'll miss you! But I promise you, I'll be careful."

April said, "You better be. I don't like the idea of leaving you alone and I know Joey will be worried, too."

Olivia said, "I'll be ok."

April said, "I'll be calling you a lot, to see how you are."

Olivia said, "I bet you will." She smiled and April smiled back.

Charlotte, Joey's mother, was over at his apartment, helping him straighten it out. Joey was not the neatest person and his mom came over once a week, to clean for him.

She had put fresh, clean sheets on his bed, vacuumed the carpet and was now doing dishes.

Joey had just gotten out of the shower and was about to get dressed. He wore a towel around his waist. He picked out a pair of clean jeans with rips in the knees, a WHO shirt, and some clean socks.

Charlotte came into Joey's bedroom and said, "So you'll bring your girlfriend over to meet me, right?"

Joey said, "Of course, ma. I'll bring her over for dinner before we leave for Mexico." He put on his socks.

Charlotte said, "I can't wait to meet her. You seem so in love with her." She walked out into the living room so Joey could finish getting dressed.

Joey called out, "She's the one, I told you! You'll love her." He put on his shirt and jeans. He went into the bathroom and combed his thick, long hair. Charlotte came over and stood by the bathroom door. She said, "Well I'm gonna get going, Joey. Call me if you need anything." Joey gave her a hug and said, "Thanks for straightening up." He escorted his mom out of his apartment.

At noon, Joey walked out of his apartment and walked towards the limo. He had reserved it so he could go get April and bring her back to Queens. His chauffeur, Sammy, opened the door for him. "Hey Joey," he said. "What's up Sammy?" said Joey. He got in the limo and Sammy closed the door. As the vehicle took off, Sammy asked, "So we're just going to go pick up your lady and come back?" Joey said, "Yeah. I'm bringing her back to Queens and taking her on tour with me." Sammy said, "Sounds cool." Joey ran his fingers through his hair and sat back in the seat. He said, "Yeah."

April was finishing up her packing. Joey had told her to pack light because he was going to take her shopping for things before the trip. She had packed a small suitcase with some clothes and toiletries. She was looking forward to spending all that time with Joey. It would be a good test to see if they can live with each other on a daily basis. They certainly didn't spend enough time together before, but now that she is finished with school, it'd be a different story.

She walked into the living room, where Olivia was watching TV. Olivia said, "Joey should be here to get you soon." April said, "Yeah. I'm all packed." She sat next to Olivia. Olivia was watching the local news. Jimmy Carter was on there, giving a speech. "I can't stand politics," sighed Olivia. April shrugged and said, "I don't mind it. Joey's into politics, so I hear about a lot of it, through him." Olivia raised her eyebrows and said, "Wow, that's surprising. He doesn't seem like the type that would be into politics." April said, "Yeah I know, a punk rocker into politics. That's sexy, though." She smiled at Olivia and Olivia smiled back.

The doorbell rang. April got up and said, "That must be Joey." She walked to the front door and opened it. There was her boyfriend, standing before her. She fell into his arms and he picked her up and swung her around. They kissed passionately. When they were done, she took him by the hand and walked over to Olivia. Olivia got up and gave him a hug. "Joey, it's so nice to you see. So you're taking my best friend away, huh?" Joey said, "I'm stealin' her from you. Will you be ok?" Olivia said, "Yeah. I'll be just fine. You don't have to worry about me." Joey said, "Be careful who you hang out with."

April said, "She's already got a new boyfriend." Joey looked surprised and said, "Oh yeah? Am I gonna have to kick his ass too?"

Olivia said, "No! He's a sweet one. He's not my boyfriend YET, we have just started talking." She glared ta April, who ignored her glare.

Joey said, "Well you know I've got your back." He winked at Olivia.

Olivia said, "You are so sweet, Joey. I appreciate that."

Joey looked at April and said, "Baby, are you ready to go? Sammy's downstairs waiting on us."

April said, "I'm ready." She and Joey said goodbye to Olivia. April told her, "I'll call you tomorrow. And you have the number to Joey's, in case you wanna call." Olivia said, "Ok guys, I love you both!" They all hugged.

Joey picked up April's small suitcase and said, "I'm taking my Queen to Queens!" He grabbed her hand with his free hand and they made their way downstairs, to the lobby.

 **Chapter 8**

April and Joey finally arrived at Joey's apartment. As soon as they walked through the front door, Joey placed her suitcase on the floor. He picked April up and carried her over to his bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed. They started kissing passionately. Joey muttered, "I've been waiting like a good boy to make love to my girl." He nibbled on April's neck. April felt shivers run through her body. She whispered, "I love when you do that." Joey whispered, "Does it drive you crazy? Cause you know, you drive me crazy." He kept nibbling and kissing her neck. His soft lips felt so warm on her body. Joey removed her top and bra. His lips continued to make his way down her body. April said, "Babe, just fuck me already!" She was so turned on, she just wanted him inside of her already. Joey undressed himself and April did the same. Joey mounted April and he made love to her slowly. As he entered her, he gasped. She felt so good. April moaned in pleasure. She was in heaven. She loved feeling Joey's hardness inside of her. As Joey hovered over April, she tugged on his hair lightly. She knew Joey loved that. He sped up his rhythm. Joey whispered , "Fuck, I'm in heaven." He passionately kissed April as he worked his magic. After awhile, they switched positions and she got on top of him. As she rode his hard cock, she moaned in pleasure. "Oh my god", she said. Joey's hands were around her tiny waist, as she rode him. He moaned and groaned. He said, "Fuck me baby." April looked down at her boyfriend and she thought he looked so hot. She looked in his eyes and let out a loud scream as she climaxed. Joey smiled because he loved giving her pleasure. April kept riding and within a minute, she had another orgasm. And another. And another. Joey was the only man that had been able to give her multiple orgasms. She never thought she was even capable of having them, before he came along. She continued to ride him until he couldn't take it anymore. He announced, "I'm gonna cum, baby." He let his load out and he moaned in ecstasy. April pinned his arms down as he came. When he was finished, she kissed him on the lips. Joey breathlessly said, "You're the best I've ever had, hands down." April said, "Same here. You turn me on so much." She got off him and laid beside him. Joey held her in his arms and kissed her forehead. He said, "I'm so glad you're here with me." April, who had her head on Joey's chest, could hear his heart beating. She said, "You'll be stuck with me for 3 weeks!" Joey said, "Hey April?" He sounded serious. April looked up at him and said, "What, babe?" Joey said, "I was thinking that you could move here to Queens and start your career out here so that we could be together, ya know?" April said, "Really?" Joey stroked her hair and said, "Yeah. I mean, if you don't wanna live here, we could get another place together, ya know? Doesn't have to be _THIS_ apartment. And you can decorate it any way you want." April said, "Joey, I'd love to! But Olivia…" Joey said, "Olivia can find another roommate." April said, "Ok babe, let me talk to her about it. I won't be able to move out until she finds someone, though. I don't want to screw her over with rent and utilities." Joey said, "That's not a problem. She'll find a roommate quick, there's a ton of people in Manhattan." April climbed on top of Joey and sat on his belly. She looked down at him and said, "You really want to live with me, Joey Ramone?" Joey said, "More than anything." The sight of April on top of him was turning him on again. He felt himself getting hard. He placed his hands on her breasts and said, "We may need to go another round. You look so good." April said, "I'll get you off, baby." She found his cock and grabbed it. It was super stiff. She stroked it for a bit before sticking it in her mouth. Joey said, "Oh fuck!" He moaned in pleasure. April sucked and licked his cock as if she was devouring a lollipop. She glanced up at Joey with seductive eyes. That drove him crazy. He said, "That's it, I'm coming!" He shot his load in her mouth and practically screamed with pleasure. When it was over, Joey said, "I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time in bed." April said, "Until you get tired of me." Joey said, "That'll be like, NEVER!" He got up, out of bed and picked April up. Both of them were naked. He carried her over to the bathroom and said, "Shower time!" He got the shower ready for both of them.

Monte, Johnny and Marky were out having drinks at a local bar. Johnny hardly drank, but he makes an exception every once in awhile. Johnny said, "I just can't wait to get the Mexican tour over with." Marky said, "You taking Linda with?" Johnny rolled his eyes and said, "Of course. You bringing Marion?" Marky said, "Yeah, but she can't stay the whole time. She may have to fly back early. She's wants to be back for her mother's birthday." Johnny sarcastically said, "How sweet." Marky glared at him and said, "Don't start." Monte said, "Joey will probably bring his cute little girlfriend, too." Johnny smirked and said, "What the fuck does she see in his skinny, bony ass?" Marky laughed out loud. He said, "Shit, you are too much." Johnny half smiled and said, "The guy is a pain in the ass, with his OCD and getting sick all the time." Monte said, "Joey can't help that, John. You know that." Johnny said, "I know, but still!" Johnny couldn't stand Joey and he always made others aware of it. Marky took a swig of his beer and said, "She's young-she'll find out what Joey's like the longer she's with him. She's a hot little number. He got lucky, that's for sure." Monte said, "Now, now Mark, Marion's not so bad either." Marky said, "I know she ain't bad…nothing wrong with looking, though." Monte laughed. The 3 finished up their beers and Monte paid the tab. They all headed home.

Joey and April were laying on the couch together, watching TV. He had his arms around her, and they were spooning. April loved how she felt in his arms. She had never felt this close to any man before. Joey whispered in her ear, "I love you." April said, "I love you more." Joey tightened his arms around her. She was his happiness and he felt like he was on cloud 9 ever since she arrived in Queens. Joey said, "Tomorrow we'll go get our passport stuff ready and I'll take you shopping after that." April said, "Sounds good. And when am I meeting your mom?" Joey said, "We can probably do that on Sunday. I'll take you over there so you can meet my brother and mother." April said, "Great! I can't wait." Joey kissed her and said, "Me neither."

The doorbell rang and startled them both. Joey said, "Who the hell can that be?" April sat up and Joey got off the couch to go answer. When he opened the door, he saw Mickey standing there. He had on his black leather jacket and was wearing a RAMONES shirt. He had on red Converse on his feet. Mickey entered the apartment and said, "What's up bro?" He spotted April on the couch. He waved and said, "Hi, I'm Joey's brother, Mitch, but you can call me Mickey." April said, "Hi, it's nice to meet you." She smiled at him. Mickey thought she was really pretty and he wondered how Joey managed to get such a girl. Joey noticed his brother staring at his girlfriend and said, "So Mick, why are you here?" Mickey said, "I was just dropping by to say hi." Joey said, "Well as you can see, I'm busy." He crossed his arms. Mickey said, "Yeah, sorry. I didn't know you had company. I'll leave you guys alone." Joey said, "We're going over there for dinner tomorrow or the next day. We'll see you then." Mickey said, "Great! Mom will be thrilled to meet this lovely young lady." April smiled and said, "It was nice meeting you." Mickey smiled back and said, "You too, sweet little lady." Joey glared at him and said, "See ya." He walked Mickey to the door. Mickey leaned over and whispered to Joey, "Man, she's hot. You better keep your eye on her." Joey scowled at him and whispered, "Yeah, I saw the way you were lookin' at her. Just watch yourself, Mitch." Mickey had been known to hit on Joey's girlfriends, in the past. One time, he actually stole one of Joey's girlfriends from him. It was when they were younger, Joey was 23 and Mickey was 18. Joey was dating a girl named Heather. He was only with her for 2 weeks, so he wasn't really in love with the girl, but he really liked her. She ended up breaking up with Joey and dating Mickey. They lasted 6 months and Joey didn't speak to Mickey for a year. It seemed that Joey was always getting screwed over by people. It worried him that something might happen with April. He didn't think he could live without her.

Joey closed the door and went back to his girlfriend, who was sitting on the couch. April said, "He seems nice." Joey smirked and said, "Just watch out for him and let me know if he tries to flirt with you." April raised her eyebrows and said, "Really?" Joey said, "Yeah." April said, "Well even if he does flirt with me, I won't flirt back, you know." Joey said, "I know. But I still wanna know if he attempts it." April sighed and said, "No worries." She held Joey's hand. She could tell that he worried about their relationship. She loved him with all her heart and there was no way she was ever going to hurt him.

Joey said, "Let's order Chinese food for dinner. What do you say?" April said, "Yeah! Love Chinese food." Joey got up and said, "Great! Let me go get the menu." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a basket full of menus that he kept on top of the refrigerator. He accidently tipped the basket over and all the menus came tumbling to the floor. "Fuck!" he said. April heard him curse and said, "Are you alright, babe?" Joey called out, "Yeah, just dropped all the menus on the floor." He sat on the floor and picked up all the menus. He must have had at least 30 of them. He ate out a lot, obviously. April walked into the kitchen and saw Joey sitting on the floor. "What are you doing on the floor?" she said. Joey said, "Just putting them in order." April bent down to help him. She gathered a few up and put them in the stack he had. Joey snapped at her and said, "No baby, they have to be in order, like this!" He grabbed the menus out of the stack and placed them in the stack in alphabetical order, according to the name of the restaurant. April said, "Oh my god, really?" Joey was making sure the menus were lined up accordingly and just right. April thought to herself, _what the hell,_ but then she remembered Joey's OCD. She had never seen him act out before, this was her first time. Her annoyance went away quickly. She watched Joey organize the menus and place them back in the basket. He picked out the menu he wanted and showed it to April. "This place has the best wonton soup." April glanced at the menu and said, "I want a general tso chicken." Joey said, "Let me call them." He grabbed the phone and called them to place an order.

The delivery man showed up half an hour later, with their food. Joey answered the door and pulled out a huge wad of cash from his pocket. He paid and tipped the man. The man thanked him and left.

April and Joey sat on the living room floor to eat their dinner. Their food was all spread out on the coffee table. They watched TV and laughed as they ate. Joey insisted that she try some of his wonton soup. He put the spoon up to her mouth and she tried it. "Wow, that _IS_ good!" she said. Joey said, "The best."

 **Chapter 9**

Johnny hung up the phone. He looked at Linda and said, "I gotta go out, but I'll be back." Linda looked at the clock and said, "What? It's 11:00pm. Who the hell are you going to see?" Johnny got his leather jacket out of the closet and put it on. He dismissingly said, "Linda, don't ask questions." Linda rolled her eyes and said, "What the hell, Johnny! " Johnny walked out the front door before Linda could say another word.

He hailed a cab and was on his way. He was on his way to CBGB. Apparently, Hilly Kristal, the owner of CBGB, was having a problem with a band that wanted to play there. He called Johnny to straighten out these punks because one of the guys in band kept saying he knew Johnny.

When he arrived at CBGB, he went straight to Hilly's office. He knocked on the door and Hilly opened it. Inside his office were 4 guys. Johnny recognized one of them-his name was Lance and he had gone to school with Johnny. However, Johnny didn't keep in touch with him or know anything about this band.

Lance said, "Johnny! How are you?" Johnny said, "I'm good. Nice to see ya." Lance said, "I'm trying to get Hilly to book us a show here but he is being hesitant. " Johnny said, "Well ya gotta let Hilly hear your music first. He can't just book you a gig here if he doesn't know what you sound like." Lance said, "I know, but we don't have a record out yet. We just started this band a month ago." Hilly coughed and said, "All you need to do is come back when the club is closed and play for me. I'll be the judge on whether you are good enough to play here or not." Johnny nodded his head and shrugged.

Lance, who happened to be the spokesman of the group, said, "Ok, if that's the only way we can get a gig here, let's do it."

Johnny, Hilly and the boys in Lance's band talked for about half an hour.

Johnny said, "Ok! Talk to Hilly here and set something up! I gotta go. My old lady's gonna bitch if I'm gone longer."

Hilly said, "Thanks for coming by Johnny, especially on last minute notice."

Johnny said, "It's ok. The old lady was bitchin' so I'd better get back home to her. See ya guys." He walked out of the club and hailed a cab to get back home.

Linda was fuming. How dare Johnny just leave like that without an explanation? She was in bed, with a book in her hands.

She heard Johnny get home and she got out of bed. She walked into the living room. "So are you gonna tell me where you went?" she asked. Johnny took his jacket off and walked into the bedroom. He said, "I had to go to CBGB to see Hilly about a band getting booked there." Linda rolled her eyes and said, "And that couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" Johnny was getting sick of Linda's nagging. He said, "Linda, enough! Let's go to bed." Linda walked to the bedroom and Johnny followed her.

It was midnight. Joey and April were getting ready for bed. April was wearing a sexy short, see through nightgown. Joey couldn't stop looking at her. He just wore a pair of shorts and nothing else. He had already brushed his teeth and was waiting for April in bed. She stood in the bathroom, in front of the mirror, brushing her long, brown hair. She called out to him, "When we get our own place, I'll have to bring my vanity. I can't live without my big mirror." Joey said, "When we get our own place, you'll have everything you need." April smiled. _He's so_ _sweet,_ she thought. She put her hair brush down and proceeded to brush her teeth. She noticed his OCD medication on the counter of the bathroom. Joey had to take his medication every single day, or his OCD would get worse. Th

Joey called out, "I'm getting lonely out here," April finished brushing her teeth and used the old, raggedy brown towel Joey had in this bathroom to dry up. _Wow, we'll have to get him some decent towels_ , she thought.

She made her way to Joey's King sized bed, where he was waiting for her patiently. He patted the spot next to him and jokingly said, "Finally! You took forever." April hit him lightly on the arm. "Don't you give me any lip, Mr. Ramone", she said. Joey laughed and said, "Mr. Ramone? Are we on a formal basis now or what?" April laughed and said, "Stop being silly, babe." Joey grabbed her and tried to tickle her. April resisted but Joey was too strong for her. He had her laughing. April cried out, "Stop it, babe!" in between laughs. Joey kept tickling her until April couldn't breathe anymore. Joey hovered over her. She quickly got up, wrestled him on the bed until he was pinned underneath her. She held his arms down. "Two can play this game," she said. Joey said, "I'm not ticklish." April tried to tickle him and nothing. She said, "Boy, you're no fun." Joey grabbed her and tossed her over on the bed. He hovered over her again and kissed her on the lips. They kissed for a couple minutes. She pulled him close to her, her hands around his neck. Joey whispered, "Are we going for round 3 today?" April said, "Aren't you sexed out yet?" Joey said, "There's no such thing." He proceeded to remove her nightgown. He lightly kissed her neck. He knew that drove April crazy and that she couldn't refuse him. His lips made his way down to her tight belly. April said, "You know I can't resist your lips all over me." Joey said, "Your golden skin tastes so sweet." April said, "I'm ready." Joey entered her slowly and made love to her all over again. She grabbed his hair and tugged on it. He hovered over her and she put her ankles around his neck. He held her legs up with his hands and thrusted in and out furiously. April moaned and cried out in ecstasy. She shook violently. When she was done climaxing, she got on her knees and said, "Doggy style, baby." Joey obeyed. He got behind her on his knees and entered her. He held her shapely bottom with his hands as he thrusted in and out. It didn't take him long to reach orgasm. He lightly spanked her bottom and said, "Oh shit!" He moaned really loud in pleasure. When he was done, he laid back on the bed, out of breath. April laid with him.

Joey looked at her and said, "You rock my world, ya know that?" April said, "And you rock mine."

Joey took off his rose colored glasses and placed them on his nightstand. He turned off the lamp. The room got really dark. He pulled the blankets up so he and April were covered. He laid on his back and pulled April close to him. She laid her head on his chest and he hugged her tight. He kissed her on the lips and said, "I love you." April replied, "Love you more." They both closed their eyes. April fell asleep to the sound of Joey's heartbeat.

Joey had never been so happy in his life. He never loved anyone, not even Linda, as much as he loved April. April accepted him for who he was. She didn't even complain about his OCD, like Linda had. He fell asleep with his arms around his girlfriend.

 **Chapter 10**

The next morning, Linda was fixing waffles for Johnny. He loved waffles. As she made breakfast, Johnny sat at the table reading the Sports section of the newspaper. He said, "I can't believe the Yankees lost." Linda rolled her eyes. She didn't care about baseball or any sport. Johnny loved baseball. He collected everything and anything having to do with baseball.

Johnny shuffled through the newspaper and pulled out the Entertainment section. He couldn't believe his eyes. On the front of the page, was a photograph of Joey and April, holding hands, getting out of a limousine. The caption read: **"Joey Ramone, lead singer of the Ramones and his new lady love. Beauty and the Beast? You be the judge."**

Johnny said, "Oh, Christ! Joey's in the paper!" He threw the paper on the table so that Linda could look at it. Linda raised her eyebrows and said, "Wonder where he was taking her."

Johnny rolled his eyes and said, "Who cares? That moron has photographers following him. As if he's THAT important!"

Linda said, "Well the Ramones are a famous band, especially in New York! What do you expect?"

Johnny got up and said, "Why does it have to be HIM in the paper? I'm just as important, if not, more important!"

Linda put down a plate of waffles in front of Johnny and said, "Sit down and eat!"

Johnny sat down, but went on, "Joey always gets all the attention. Maybe it's because he looks like a giant fucking freak. He's like a freak show. I mean, they called him a 'beast'."

Linda ignored Johnny. She didn't like it when he put Joey down, but there was nothing she could do except ignore him.

April opened her eyes. She was still laying on Joey's chest and his arms were still around her. Did they sleep like that the whole night? Apparently so. She glanced up at him and he was still sound asleep. His mouth was half open and he was snoring lightly. She looked over at the clock and the time said 10:00am. _Whoa, it's late_ , she thought. The sun shone through the curtains.

She kissed Joey on the lips and his eyes flew open. He looked at her and said, "Mmm, I love waking up this way." He yawned and stretched out his arms. He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and put them on. He looked at the clock and said, "Damn, we sure slept in."

April said, "I know. It was nice." She laid beside him in bed, both still under blankets.

Joey laid on his side and looked at his girlfriend. He said, "Did you sleep well?" April nodded. She said, "I love falling asleep in your arms."

Joey reached over and touched her face with his hand. He said, "You look so beautiful first thing in the morning. I know, I tell you that every time."

April said, "You must really love me, if you think that."

Joey said, "I do. Believe it." He looked right in her big brown eyes.

April sat up in bed and said, "We should probably get up, huh babe?"

Joey said, "Wanna mess around before we start our day?" He smiled sexily at April.

April smiled and said, "Oh my gosh, you are like a sex machine!"

Joey said, "I can't help it if I have a high sex drive. Plus you are so tasty…" he playfully bit April on the shoulder. April laughed and said, "Babe! There'll be time for hot, steamy sex later!"

Joey said, "I guess so. Wanna shower with me?" He got up from the bed, totally naked. He held out his hand for April to join him. April took his hand and they both walked towards the bathroom to get in the shower.

Mickey and Charlotte were looking at the newspaper photo of Joey and April. "Man, I can't believe he's in the paper." Charlotte said, "Well Joey said photographers pop out of nowhere to take his picture."

Mickey laughed and said, "They called him a beast."

Charlotte frowned and said, "Well, he's not. His girlfriend is so pretty, though. A lot prettier than Linda."

Mickey smirked and said, "Linda's a dog! April's a looker-what's she doing with Joey?"

Charlotte snapped, "Stop it! Your brother deserves to be happy after all the shit he's been through."

Mickey said, "Oh, I'm sure his little girlfriend makes him _very_ happy!" He walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a cold Pepsi.

Joey and April were getting dressed when Joey's telephone rang. He went to answer it. It was Monte.

He said, "Did you know your picture is in the paper?" Joey said, "No. We got up not too long ago and haven't been out yet." Monte said, "You didn't tell me you had photographers after you." Joey said, "They pop out of nowhere, man, at random. What picture did they publish?" Monte said, "You and your girlfriend getting out of a limo." Joey said, "Oh, musta been when I went to go pick her up from Manhattan a couple days ago." Monte said, "They called you beauty and the beast." Joey laughed and said, "Boy, they got that right. I gotta go Mont." He hung up the phone.

April was at the mirror doing her hair and make-up. She said, "Is everything alright?"

Joey leaned by the doorway and said, "Yeah, it was Monte. He said our picture is in the paper."

April looked over at him and said, "Oh really? I'm not surprised. Photographers are always appearing out of nowhere when you are out and about. My boyfriend, the rock star."

Joey, who was wearing a red t-shirt and ripped blue jeans said, "Monte said they called us beauty and the beast."

April said, "What the hell! That's not nice." She went over to Joey and kissed him on the lips.

Joey shrugged and said, "I don't care, I'm used to hearing those things."

April said, "Well, I think you are beautiful." She winked at him. She went back to brushing her hair.

When she was ready, they both headed out. Joey hailed them a cab. Their first stop was to get lunch. Since they got up so late, it was lunchtime by the time they got out and about.

They ate at a soup and salad place that Joey frequented. While there, they looked at the newspaper that Joey had bought on the street corner.

He saw the photograph of April and him. He showed April and she said, "They took this when we were in Manhattan."

Joey said, "Yeah, I didn't even see the bastard." He was referring to the photographer that snapped the photograph.

April said, "I guess I'd better get used to it, huh babe?"

Joey said, "It comes with the lifestyle." He put the paper aside and both of them continued to eat their lunch.

After lunch, they went to get their passport photos taken. Joey knew of a place that did them, that was not far from where he lived. The place did the quick and accurately. April placed the envelope with their photos in her purse. Joey had their applications at home, all they had to do is submit the paperwork along with the photographs. Monte said he would do that for them, so it was one less worry for Joey.

After they had taken care of the photos, Joey took April to the mall. The cab dropped them off in front of Macy's.

Joey put his arm around April as they walked. He said, "Pick out whatever you want."

April said, "I need a couple of summer dresses and maybe some shorts."

Joey said, "Don't forget a few sexy bikinis." He winked at April.

April blushed and said, "I'll have to try a few on and model them for you."

It was Joey's turn to blush. He said, "Can't wait." They walked over to the dresses section and April looked around. Joey patiently stood near her. She picked out 3 dresses that she thought were cute. She showed them to Joey and he nodded his head and said, "Whatever you want." He didn't really care what she picked out, as he knew she looked good in anything.

Next, they went to the swim sear section and April looked through the racks at the bikinis. She picked out a bright pink, lace bikini. She said, "I like this one." Joey said, "Pick out some more." Joey picked out a black one with silver rhinestones on it. He said, "This one's really neat." April said, "Yeah, I like that too." She smiled at him and he smiled back. She looked around some more and picked out 2 more, because Joey insisted. She wanted to please him.

They walked towards the fitting rooms, and Joey took a seat. There was another man waiting for his lady there, as well. Joey crossed his arms and patiently waited for April. The other man's girl came out of the fitting room and modeled a dress for him. She was a chubby but cute girl, with long black hair and dazzling blue eyes. When she saw Joey sitting there, she recognized him. She said, "Oh my gosh, it's Joey Ramone!" Joey smiled at her. He didn't want anyone to make a big spectacle of his presence. The man said, "He must be someone important." The chubby girl rolled her eyes and said, "You are so lame. If you listened to GOOD music, you'd know who he is." She looked at Joey and apologetically said, "He's a country music fan."

Joey shrugged and said, "Ah well, our music isn't for everyone."

Just then April came out of the fitting room modeling her bright pink bikini. She looked amazing, of course.

Joey's eyes practically popped out of his head. The chubby girl and her boyfriend gawked at April. The man said, "Holy smokes!" The girl said, "She must be his girlfriend. Rockstars always have girlfriends that look like _THAT_."

April looked at Joey and said, "What do you think babe?"

Joey said, "You look stunning. Beautiful."

April smiled at him and headed back towards the fitting room.

The couple had already left, so Joey sat there alone. April came out a few more times to model her other bikinis and the dresses. She looked amazing in them all.

When she was done, she and Joey walked up to the cashier and he paid for her purchases. April thanked him and said, "You are the best." He carried one bag and she carried the other. He put his arm around her as they walked and he said, "What else do you want?"

April said, "Nothing. This is plenty."

Joey said, "Are you sure? You know money's no object, baby."

April said, "Don't forget that I packed and brought some clothes from home, babe."

Joey said, "Ok. So what do you wanna do now?"

April said, "Honestly? I wanna go home and snuggle with my boyfriend." She looked up at Joey and smiled.

Joey said, "Did you just say 'home'? "It made him so happy that April referred to his place as _home_.

April said, "I sure did, didn't I? I guess wherever you are, is home to me."

Joey pulled her close and said, "I'm so happy to hear you say that. And yeah, let's go home."

They exited the mall and took a cab back home.


End file.
